Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015)

[**** stars / *****] 

Tanu Weds Manu Returns works on the weight of its brilliant joke-skit situations, colourful characters, damn funny dialogues and how the excellent, spirited cast, (most reprising their roles from Tanu Weds Manu (2011)), enacts each bit with elan. 

The plot is just a prop, we are not complaining, because the humour is a mad riot and just keeps rolling and rolling.

Kangana Ranaut is stellar as the mad, freewheeling Tanu, more so as Komal, the young Hariyanvi althlete, going beyond the accent and sportswoman's gait. 

Deepak Dobriyal is a steal for the sheer comic spontaneity he brings to his role. Madhavan quietly adds nuances to his unusual lead male role, that of a subdued, withdrawn, troubled husband. 

The rest of the cast get their lines too, watch out for Jimmy Shergill's just complaints and KK Raina's catarthic monologue on marriage. 

But this is Kangana's film, she is simply outstanding!

Director Anand L Rai and writer Himanshu Sharma pull off  contrived situations with great confidence and we have a surprise, surprise, a hoot of a funny comedy drama here. 

Yennai Arindhaal (2015)

[***1/2 stars / *****] 

The way director Gautham Menon goes about it, they might as well enlist him in a police encounter squad for real. As in his previous police-as-vigilante movies, beneath the wafer-thin layer of realism, a familiar hero-villain face off track takes center-stage. 

Where Menon's loyalties bend is more than clear. Criminals and gangsters are stylish, barbaric, wicked, epic and looming over the idealistic law-protecting hero, so they deserve to be killed as brutally, tit for tat, same old revenge tale. 

Yennai Arindhaal (Translated: Well...if you know me) has the protagonist-narrative monologue lending credibility to the events as it did to Menon's previous police depictions on film. 

The lengthy running time, despite the crisp editing mitigates impact. The villain track is stretched beyond elastic, the organ-stealing plot is too fantastic. 

The movie scores in its performances, Harris Jayraj's rocking soundtrack, sharp technical finesse and semi-believable lead characters. 

Ajith Kumar is effectively understated in his role, the larger-than-life cape doesn't suit him, he is more of an actor and a reluctant star. Arun Vijay as the antagonist is good. 

The film's endearing, believable parts - the Ajith-Trisha track and Ajith's 'caring father' part. 

Menon is best in handling male-female, family bonding, the action seems a commercial afterthought, though adroitly depicted. This is a kind of film Menon will never tire of making. It's a decent watch for a drama-action-gritty police story. 

For Gautham Menon's best yet, (both don't feature the police) try Vaaranam Aayiram (2008) and Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010).


(Subtitles saved the day for me, hopefully more regional films will be increasingly released on 70mm with English subtitles, in  days to come.)   

Darr (1993)

[**1/2 stars / *****] 

Kiran (Juhi Chawla) studies in Shimla (Switzerland, undisguised). She is happily engaged to daredevil navy officer Sunil (Sunny Deol). 

But there is another secret suitor, her college mate Rahul (Yes, Shah Rukh Khan), a shy, awkward one who sings an anonymous song for her, guitar to boot. 

The shy guy doesn't show himself. Instead he chooses to terrorize Kiran, stammering (Kkkkkk...Kiran) on the phone, shadowing her and then in murderous shyness, attempts to kill Sunil.   

Unconventional concept 

Yash Chopra's Darr is a rare Hindi commercial movie with a stalker shown in negative light (well, kind of).

The makers of Darr do glorify the stalker's madness as a kind of feverish love. 

Hindi film heroes have stalked, teased and molested heroines no end onscreen, having the girls inexplicably fall for them, right up to the 'The Beginning' end credits. 

Shah Rukh Khan dazzles
Darr's trump card is Shah Rukh Khan's unconventional take on the Hindi film villain. 

The mannerisms that became repeated over several films and are now perennial mimic artist source material, were very effective in Darr. 

Darr review 
Despite the problematic depiction, Darr is a decent take on possessive love. 

The high point is when the three protagonists come together for a gentle conversation before the truth pops out. 

Songs, though beautiful, affect flow and mitigate all sense of dread. 

For once, even if in patches, story does take over starry airs. In ego-infested star-insecure Hindi film territory, that itself is a monumental achievement.